Landfill at full capacity and temporary resumption of waste acceptance
From 8.00 am in the Galisbay car park, and then outside the Prefecture at 10.15 am, hauliers and the construction industry association held a protest on Tuesday 28 July against the closure of the Grandes Cayes site. Since 11 July, tradespeople have been unable to dispose of their waste, bringing many businesses and building sites on the island to a standstill.
“We can’t keep going any longer,” exclaims Éric Kubka, of Diligence Express. His company rents out and collects skips before transporting the waste to the tip. For the past fortnight, all his sites have been full. “They’re overflowing. Customers are breathing down our necks; some are on the verge of swearing at us,” says the entrepreneur. Hauliers and construction industry professionals claim to have alerted the local authority and government departments. For them, the saturation of the Grandes Cayes site comes as no surprise. “The tip didn’t fill up in twenty-four hours. Those in charge are supposed to plan ahead,” they complain. The professionals also criticise the authorities for continuing to collect household waste whilst their own waste is being refused. “Either they accept waste from everyone, or from no one,” they insisted. Indeed, whilst the Grandes Cayes site has not accepted waste from businesses since 11 July, on 13 July the collection of household waste, managed by the Collectivité, resumed. This waste is then stored in a temporary, non-compliant area within the landfill site.
A saturation that was known in advance
On 10 July, Verde SXM, the service provider for the Collectivité at the Grandes Cayes site, announced that its last sealed landfill cell, Cell 10, had reached capacity. Verde points out that the site’s operation is subject to a prefectural authorisation issued in the name of the Collectivité. This document sets out the authorised disposal volumes. “Cell 10 came into service in January 2025. At that time, we knew we had a year and a half before it would be full,” says Maxime Arnal, director of Verde SXM. He also states that he cannot continue to operate Cell 10 without authorisation, on pain of criminal prosecution. Furthermore, following the closure of the site to trade customers, three of its employees have been on short-time working since 27 July.
Resumption of operations in a non-compliant area
On Wednesday 29 July, several meetings between the Prefecture, the Collectivité, Verde and representatives of haulage companies and the construction industry provided an opportunity to discuss temporary solutions. In particular, the storage of waste in an area to the west of Casier 10 was discussed. However, to date, no authorisation has been granted to resume waste storage. Pending a prefectural order, the Collectivité has decided to open the non-regulated area – already used for the storage of household waste – to businesses. At this unsecured site, the Collectivité’s subcontractors – who are independent of Verde SXM – are currently responsible for waste storage.
Up to fourteen months of work
Managed by the Collectivité, the Grandes Cayes landfill site is set to see the construction of a new storage facility, the ‘meta-casier’. This area will comply with current regulations. “The commissioning and construction of the ‘meta-casier’ must be completed within the next 14 months,” says Laurent Guillaume, director of the Collectivité’s ecological transition department. According to him, however, certain parts of the ‘meta-compartment’ could be delivered before the work is completed: “We will then be able to gradually store waste in areas that comply with regulations.” For their part, hauliers and construction professionals are now awaiting a long-term solution. Resuming waste deliveries to a non-compliant area provides temporary relief, but it does not resolve the problem of landfill saturation or the difficulties associated with waste treatment in Saint-Martin.
